The first of Trollope's Barsetshire novels, The Warden concerns the moral dilemma of the Reverend Septimus Harding, who finds himself at the centre of a bitter conflict between defenders of Church privilege and the reformers of the mid-Victorian period. Download and start listening now!

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Listener Opinions

by Yifot | 2/17/2014

" about Warden Harding and the mischief cause to him because someone took an interest in his finances (NOT AN ACTION PACKED ADVENTURE!) Still - quite good! "

by Alicia | 2/16/2014

" This is a well-written book but one of the slowest-moving plots of any English classic I've ever read. "

by Rebekah | 2/12/2014

" ok so i'm kind of copping out here by choosing to read Le Fanu (who I love anyway) over Trollope for class. I'm probably in all likelihood NOT going to finish this book, but in case anyone is interested, it is AN EXTREMELY SLOW READ. And not very interesting. "

by Rosemary | 2/12/2014

" A very nice book to read - a return to gentler times - or at least, more polite times. Interesting that the perceptions of journalists and lawyers haven't changed much.... "

" 1st of the chronicles of Barsetshire, featuring a third person narrator who 'steps out' to address the audience. Humour is very dry and Austenesque. Great characters and story. "

Stephanie | 1/31/2014

" This book was especially interesting to me given my work with ECFA and my interest in financial accountability in Christian ministries. Overall, I thought Trollope was a little dull in some of his wordier sections(I know, I know, book length was a virtue in his day) but there was a consistent supply of nuggets of profound truth mixed in with the longest descriptions or conversations to make the reading well worthwhile. "

Jeanette | 1/18/2014

" This book tells a surprisingly absorbing tale of the social lives of the clergy in 19th century England. Despite the apparently narrow setting, many of the themes explored are as relevant now as in the time it was written. It has some wonderfully witty moments and the characters are beautifully described, but I also found there were a few flat spots where the story seemed to come to a grinding halt. Overall though, it was a very pleasant introduction to the Barsetshire series and left me wanting to read more. "

J. Alfred | 1/12/2014

" Trollope creates a readable, touching, and sometimes funny question-of-conscience book while simultaneously determining conclusively that one can write a novel in which none of one's characters are antagonists. Charming! "

Phyllida | 1/9/2014

" The Warden is an old favourite. I think this may be the third time I have read it. This time it was in preparation for reading the whole Barchester series of six books. I am just finishing Barchester Towers at the moment read to move on to the third in the series. "

Carolyn | 1/7/2014

" There is a reason no one has heard of this Victorian author. "

Douglas | 1/2/2014

" This is not a particularly exciting book. Nonetheless, the descriptions of 19th century Britain are charming, and the book has a good message about doing the right thing, even when it isn't popular. "

Celia | 11/10/2013

" It is slow but those who like old novels may like it. It deals with very modern themes of corruption in an organized Church, court cases, the press and the proper use of charity money. It is my first Trollope book and I find his writting style east to read. "

John | 10/23/2013

" my record show i read this in 2002 but i do not remember it.i had given it a 6 on a 1 to10 scale "

Kathy | 10/22/2013

" Enjoyed my first Trollope story. "

Debbi | 10/16/2013

" Quite a charming book and introduction to Trollope's writing. "

Merri-Todd Webster | 9/11/2013

" Any Episcopalian, any Anglican, probably any church person will recognize the characters and situations of Trollope's Barchester novels. The Warden is not quite as droll as its sequel, Barchester Towers, but it is funny as well as poignant. Trollope is my go-to guy for 19th-century fiction. "

Donna | 9/5/2013

" not his best book - there is a reason it is not listed in the best books list "

Martha Johnson | 6/16/2013

" I like Trollope -- another age, another sensibility. "

Steven Taylor | 5/29/2013

" Charming little story! I LOVE the good, simple Mr. Harding! "

Shawn | 11/27/2012

" Good story and very well written. Perhaps a bit of an understated ending - but an enjoyable read nevertheless. I really enjoyed the writer's style as he occasionally addresses the reader directly. "

Barbara | 8/15/2012

" 3.75 Took a while to get into it but I really liked it by the end. Enough that I will get to Barchester Towers eventually. The Warden is such a nice honorable man. "

Eileen | 4/10/2012

" Slow-moving. Neither plot nor main character are very interesting till book's almost over. "

Dan Cohen | 2/6/2012

" Wonderful story, with one of my all-time favourite fictional characters - the eponymous warden. First and perhaps most enjoyable of the Barsetshire novels. "

Laura Van Wormer | 9/12/2011

" Just the warm up to the world of Trollope. Read this, though, um, well, it was different. And then went on to read another 52 books! "

Caroline Curtis O'Beirne | 7/1/2011

" hmm good but not quite so good as I remembered it. Will move on to the first chronicle and see how that goes, "

Nathan | 6/2/2011

" I read this the summer after I graduated from High School, so I don't remember much about it, except for that I was mostly reading it so I could get to Barchester Towers. I think it's pretty slow. Maybe I'd like it better now that I'm slow. "

Ann | 5/29/2011

" This novel was a Book Group choice; I never would have selected on my own. "

Rob | 5/14/2011

" A view into the Church of England in the 1850,s. It is not a pretty picture, but a fascinating one. Some of the theological issues of that day may be lost on the modern reader, but the story of ambition and sacrifice transcend time.
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Huma | 5/10/2011

" God, I hated this book. Also, did you know that in the movie, the Odious Reverend Slope is played by the guy that plays Snape in Harry Potter?! :-O I saw Harry Potter and was like HOLY CRAP REVEREND SLOPE AAAA EVERYONE HIDE!
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Rachel | 4/29/2011

" What a character study! Trollope can certainly invent the most believable characters!! Loved it!
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Jean | 3/19/2011

" Kind of obsessed with Trollope now. Loved the quirky characters in this book, and the way that, early on, the narrator assures us that the girl we like isn't going to marry either of the men we don't want her to marry.
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Shereese | 2/12/2011

" Ah to read good writing; it is a splendid thing.
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Shereese | 2/12/2011

" I just received a 1st ed. of this book. I love the illustrations. Stay tuned for my review.
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